Gone are the days when women were simply home and kitchen bound. This scenario has changed completely and women not only handle home and a career but manage a complete overall personal growth. Due to this role reversal, many of the women lately are a victim of obesity and poor fitness regime. Due to the stress of juggling a home and career, many women are facing a lot of difficulties associated with their health due to lack of exercise and proper physical workouts. But complaining isn't the solution as finding a balance between personal and professional life with fitness, diet is crucial if not easy. Following are some fitness tips for working women to stay healthy and happy.
Stay active throughout the day
Walk and talk with a hands-free as much as possible, stand up maybe during meetings, or keep standing while working. Take a short walk during your lunch break, take short breaks every half hour where you walk around for a minute and then get back to your desk. The options are there, you just have to make up your mind and do it.
Store your house with healthy snacks
Even if you have the habit of snacking throughout the day, healthy snacks will come to your rescue, instead of harming your health. So, stock up with all the healthy snacks to stay away from various lifestyle diseases.
Create an effective exercise pattern
Choose an exercise pattern according to your own convenience. Try adapting to strength training, for at least 20 minutes at least twice a week or interval training like walking or running which will help to tone your entire body.
Eat a good breakfast
Working women should also maintain a proper diet with the workouts in order to stay healthy. Include lots of fresh fruits in your breakfast, as fresh fruits that contain glucose will help to keep sweet cravings at bay. With fresh fruits you can also include some dry fruits in your breakfast for energy.
Turn on the magic of treadmill
Just do a 10 minutes treadmill session along with holding a 3-5 pound dumbbell in each hand. Set the speed to brisk walk. Do one-minute set each of biceps curls, triceps extensions, side laterals, and standing triceps one after another as you walk. This exercise will tone your upper body as well as pump your heart smoothly.
Crunches technique
Most of the times, women tend to use their neck muscles more than their abs when they do crunches. This practice is completely a waste of time. Instead focus back to your abdominal muscles by pressing your tongue flush against the roof of your mouth before starting your crunches.
Drink lots of water
Enough water is very essential for the proper functioning of your body. Keep drinking water at regular intervals, so that you don't de-hydrate yourself.
Chart your progress
To stay focused and motivated, make a fitness report card for your own reference. Jot down the subjects as various workouts you will be trying out, and grade yourself as you progress. This will help you to be motivated and will help you to notice various improvements.
Reduce refined carbs intake
Limit your refined carb rich foods like cookies, chocolates, honey and white rice. When you eat a refined carb rich food, it will spike your blood sugar level and further will produce more insulin which will increase the fat in your body.
Never overdo anything
Women need not more than an hour of health and fitness training. Hence, never over do any form of exercise as doing extra exercises or spending more time in the gym, will just make you tired and exhausted. Hence, focus on limited exercises within a certain time frame to make your training session fun and effective.
Recover from all desk jobs
Take a rubber band or hair scrunchie. Take the affected hand and touch all five finger tips together, forming a sort of point. Slip the band or scrunchy around all five fingers and draw them apart against the resistance of the band. It's like a reverse squeeze. Do this casually whenever you have time - in between emails, at home while watching TV, even while driving. This will relax your fingers, hands and can act as a stress buster.
Be flexible
Trying to stick to a routine may get impossible at times. So if you have dedicated your mornings to workouts, and something comes up, be open enough to take it in your stride. Instead of sticking to a routine, make up your mind that you will go to the gym, any time in the day whenever you have a window of an hour. If you have to attend a meeting, start 45 minutes earlier. Go to the gym, change and then go on your way. Giving yourself some leeway is the key here.
Workout with a buddy
If you are bored to work out alone, then call your best friend or take your pet along with for a workout session. Working out with someone whom you know will help you to achieve goals and keep you motivated as well. Besides, working out in company is always fun and cool.
Carbs are important
Carbs are very important, as they fuel your body with energy. Hence, up your intake of fruits and other high fiber crackers. Also include some protein in your diet, so that the carbs break down more slowly.
Stretching is crucial
Warming up your muscles before starting up your exercise routine is very important. Warm ups will prevent muscle injury during workouts. Thus, before starting any workout regime, start at the lowest speed and increase it gradually.
Never focus on weight loss
If you just focus on reducing the numbers on your scale, then ultimately you will land up gaining pounds. Instead, your goal should be to maintain a healthy and fit life, by eating right food and practising right exercise.
Pre-workout snack is important
Munching on a energy bar before the gym can actually pump up your energy, as all those bars are high in fiber and sugar. If you're very hungry beforehand, opt for a banana instead which is digested super quickly and will also provide the necessary energy.
Keep an eye on your heart rate
Women should work out at 75-85% of their maximum heart rate. When your heart rate is too low, it's a sign that you're not working to your full potential. Too high a rate, on the other hand, shows that you're pushing yourself to a potentially dangerous level. Keep a heart rate monitor on hand or do a manual count incrementally during your workout to ensure that you're reaching, but not exceeding, your ideal target heart rate.
Pay attention how you sit
If you're sitting, you may find it most comfortable for your monitor to be at or even slightly above eye level. This helps you look straight ahead without requiring downward head tilt, which often leads the rest of the upper thoracic into a slumping pattern - especially if you're not vigilant and you're prone to lapsing back into bad habits. This simple habit change will go a long way in ensuring reduced back, neck and shoulder aches that are so common among the cubicle crowds.
Be happy
As the popular saying goes,' Laughter is the best medicine' and it is 100% per cent true . When you laugh out loud or just are happy, your body will release feel good hormones and this will kill the villain stress hormone cortisol. Hence, giggle as much as you can to achieve good health by watching back to back comedy videos or by joining a laughter club. Besides, laughter is also a very good workout option to tone your face muscles.
Never hurry for results
Finally, remember that even if you follow all these tips, there will be ups and downs, setbacks and victories. Just be patient, and don't give up.
